How IgNoct Saved Christmas
by The Muses of Mars
Summary: Detective Noctis Lucis Caelum is king of the Insomnia Police Department. But Detective Ignis Scientia has just transferred to the Insomnia precinct from Tenebrae and threatens to put a serious cramp in Noct's style by shoving rules and regulations down his reluctant throat. Noct and Ignis subsequently butt heads, fall for each other, and save Christmas! All in a night's work.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Noct—come here for a minute."

Detective Noctis Lucis Caelum had just walked into the police station, ten minutes late for his evening shift, when he heard his boss hollering his name.

But being late was nothing new for Noct. As he headed for Cor Leonis's office, he wondered what else he could be in trouble for. Recently he'd been walking around the station like a king; the young detective had just spent seven months deep undercover, and had been instrumental in bringing down a major drug cartel run by kingpin Ravus Nox Fleuret. Even a hardass like Cor had been forced to forgive his somewhat unorthodox methods and notorious tendency to pull his trigger first and ask questions later. It had been just one week since he'd come off that assignment. Surely his celebrity hadn't faded so quickly…

Noct took just a second to drop his belongings off at his desk before knocking on the frame of the open door leading into Cor's office. "Hey. What's up, Chief?"

"Get in here and close the door," Cor ordered.

Suddenly Noct had a familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't in trouble; he was about to receive a new assignment, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Noctis closed the chief's door then claimed a spot on the beat-up leather sofa facing the man seated on the opposite side of a large, cluttered desk.

"I've got a job for you, Noct," Cor said, as expected. He was leaning over a drawer, thumbing through files. "…I was sure I had another copy in here… Ah, well."

"Another copy?" Noct repeated. Why would Cor have two copies of a file? That could only mean one thing.

"I gave the original to your partner. Bah, forget it." Cor kicked the overstuffed drawer shut with a growl. "You'll have to get with him for the case notes."

"Partner?" Noct's brows furrowed. "Chief, you know I work best alone."

"Not this time," Cor argued. "There's too much ground to cover."

Noct folded his arms over his chest and smirked. "The Nox Fleuret cartel wasn't too much ground for one man to cover; how's this any different?"

Cor didn't miss the way Noctis boasted of his recent accomplishment. But he retorted, "There was only one route into and out of that snake pit; there are any number of doors leading in and out of the Central Insomnia Shopping Center."

Now Noct was looking at the chief like he'd lost his mind. "You're sending me to investigate a _mall?_ No offense, Cor, but aren't there security guards for that kind of thing?"

"There are, but since they're not getting the job done, someone else has to do it. Besides, mall security guards aren't real police officers; they wouldn't know how to handle the situation if an entire gang of thieves broke in and pointed guns in their faces. And that's what's going on right now. Where did I put….ah, here." Cor hadn't been able to locate a file for this case, but he had a newspaper under his coffee cup. He tossed the paper across the desk to Noct.

Noct picked it up and turned it around to read the headline. His eyes widened. "Is this for real?" he muttered with disgust. He read aloud, "A gang of four thieves has been breaking into shopping malls to steal gift donations from the Secret Santa charity drive.' What kind of animals steal from little kids at Christmas?"

"You've been underground, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard about it, but it's all they're talking about on local news stations," Cor said with a sympathetic frown. "The burglars have been seen a couple times, but they wear masks and move fast. And it's been rumored they're packing an arsenal."

"Yeah, this is serious. I get it now." Noct tossed the newspaper back across the desk. "So who's my partner?" was his next question. He silently prayed to the Six he wouldn't be stuck working with Prompto Argentum. The kid was a sharp shooter for sure, but he was green. He hadn't completed his training at the academy long before Noct had rejoined the precinct, and if Noctis had to work alongside someone else, he wanted it to be a seasoned pro. Someone like Gladio Amicitia. Noct had worked with a partner on the occasional case, and even though he and Gladio butted heads more often than not, there was no one he'd rather have watching his back.

But to his confusion, Cor answered, "Detective Ignis Scientia."

Noctis frowned, sure he'd misunderstood. He didn't know that name. "…Who?"

"Ignis Scientia. He's a decorated detective who's done some outstanding work. He just transferred here from Tenebrae."

"You're not talking about Specs?" Noctis groaned. "Aw, Chief! You know everyone's been calling him The Stiff, right? And do you know why? Cause he's dead dull. The guy never cracks a smile. He always looks pissed off."

"We're not here to have fun, Noct."

It was hard to argue with that. "You said he transferred here from Tenebrae. What's the story? They don't transfer detectives unless there's a problem."

"Well, that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about, Noct." Cor stood and walked around to the front of the desk to address him directly. "There _is_ a bit of a problem: _you_."

" _Me?"_ Noct was genuinely surprised, and offended. "After what I just did—singlehandedly, might I add?"

"What you did was reckless—dangerous."

"Nobody got hurt." Noct corrected himself, "Nobody on our side, anyway."

"I know you're a good detective. Hell, you're one of my best men, Noct. But your methods are a little…" Cor struggled for the right word.

"…Crazy?" Noctis offered.

"That's it—crazy." Cor shrugged. "The district attorney doesn't like it. The mayor doesn't like it. The governor—"

"Okay, okay, I get it…" Noctis sighed. "So The Stiff was reassigned to reel me in, huh?"

"That's right. No—I mean, don't call him that!" Cor ran his hand over his face. "Just…try and get along with him, all right? People haven't been very welcoming; he's having a hard time fitting in."

"That's probably his own fault," Noct muttered under his breath as he stood.

"Noct…"

"All right, all right. I'll play nice with the new kid." Noct headed for the door. "I know how to share my toys."

When he was gone, Cor retreated to his desk chair once more and sank down into it with a heavy sigh. "I can't wait to retire," he grumbled to himself.

* * *

As he went off searching for Ignis, Noct mulled things over in his mind. He'd been lectured—off the record—plenty of times for his antics, but he'd never been suspended or formally reprimanded in any other way. He wondered if the chief's story was true, then decided it wasn't. For one thing, it would be pretty damn irrational to punish a man who took down a major drug ring in your name, possibly earning you a reelection. And for another, this was the first time he'd heard that the _governor_ knew him by name. Nah. Cor was probably trying to cover for the fact that no one else wanted to work with Ignis.

Ignis wasn't at his desk…his very pristine, very bland, very boring desk. There wasn't a potted plant or a single photo frame in sight, nothing nearly so domestic. Spare office supplies were neatly stashed in a handy organizer that was not standard issue. _What kind of guy buys his own office equipment?_ Noct wondered suspiciously.

He tried the desk drawers, hoping to get a look at their case file, and found them locked. Nobody was paranoid enough to lock their drawers inside the precinct.

"Gods, even his pencil cup is organized," Noct grumbled with disgust, walking away from the sterile cubicle as if he had a bad taste in his mouth.

He finally found Ignis in the break room, pouring himself a mug of very black coffee.

Noct didn't have to try too hard to muster a smile. He was naturally a friendly guy, even if he preferred to work alone. He walked up to the counter to greet his new partner with genuine cordiality.

"Hey, Specs," he said. "So, I hear we—"

Those were all the words he managed to get out of his mouth before Ignis whirled on him, cutting his introduction short.

"I've already heard," Ignis said sharply, his tone like ice. "And let's get one thing straight, Detective: if I'm to be saddled with you, we're doing things _my_ way—by the book." Noct's brows shot up. "Oh, yes," Ignis continued, "I've heard all about you and your little exploits. I'm not impressed with your 'free-style justice,' or whatever you've been calling your Lucis-Caelumisms. If we were back at my old precinct, you'd have been suspended for that foolish stunt you pulled on the Nox Fleuret case. We may share a rank, but I've been in this game for far longer than you have. Do yourself a favor and follow my example. Do _nothing_ unless I agree. Are we clear?"

Noct was almost too stunned to speak. He blinked to wipe the shock from his face, then stammered, "Y-yeah. I hear ya, Specs. Loud and clear."

Ignis wasn't finished with him. "And one more thing. You're to address me by my proper name and title, not a childish nickname I haven't condoned and don't approve of. You will call me 'Detective Scientia,' is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Noct quickly agreed. He watched Ignis—Detective Scientia—spin on his heel and storm out of the break room before he even knew what had happened.

A low whistle came from somewhere behind him, and Noct turned to look over his shoulder. Detective Gladiolus Amicitia was seated at one of the break room tables, having apparently witnessed the entire disaster.

Gladio looked at Noctis sympathetically. "Sounds like he spent all week rehearsing that speech."

Noctis was bewildered. "That's what I was thinking. I just want to know why."

"Couldn't you tell?" Gladio chuckled. " _You're_ why."

"Me?" Noct shot back at him. "What did I do?"

"He's been pissed off all night. You're partners now, right?" Gladio shrugged. "What else could it be?"

"But I didn't do anything!" Noct was at a loss. "I swear this is the first time I've ever talked to the guy."

Gladio shook his head. "Hmph. Don't feel bad. I'm working a case with the rookie, Prompto."

"After that chewing out I just got?" Noct ran a hand through his dark hair. "I'd trade you any day."

Gladio snorted. "Hell, no."


	2. Chapter 2

After the break room incident, Noct decided not to go back to Ignis's desk to ask for the official case file. Instead he spent the morning browsing news articles online. The situation was grave. The way it worked was charity organizers sent their teams to all the major malls in and around the city. A man dressed as "Santa Claus" would greet lines of excited, underprivileged children to ask them for their Christmas wish lists. Elves were dispatched with the lists to purchase gifts for the kids, which were then lovingly wrapped by more of Santa's Helpers and personally addressed from Santa to each child. Then the toys were added to a pile of presents on a central display, overflowing from Santa's sled to spill over the fluffy white "snow" fabric and gather under a massive tree hung with a thousand lights and ornaments. It was a beautiful charity event that Noct donated to every year. No kid should be without a gift for Christmas, was his opinion on the matter. He had never been in attendance when the children gathered at the mall on Christmas Eve, to hear each of their names called and to be handed their gift, but each time he placed cash into the collection jar at the shopping center, he felt a warm glow in his heart just by imagining the smile on some child's face as his or her Christmas wish came true.

Noct reviewed articles from all the local papers, and one national news story that had been published on the case, but he wasn't taking any notes. His desk was such a disaster area, he probably would have had a hard time even finding something clean to write on. He'd been gone for seven months, after all, and he hadn't exactly had a chance to organize his desk before going undercover.

He had just exhausted all the sources he'd dug up and decided to quickly check his Facebook when he suddenly felt a presence and a dark shadow veiled his screen.

Noctis anxiously turned his head to see who was standing over his shoulder. There was Ignis, scowling down at Noct as he caught him apparently dicking around on the clock.

"Uh—hey!—uh, Detec—"

"Chief Leonis wants to meet with us in the conference room for a briefing," Ignis snapped. "Here," he added, slamming a folder down onto Noct's desk, sending candy wrappers, a styrofoam cup, and miscellaneous papers scattering. "Since you never bothered to come to my desk to go over the case together, before we walk into a meeting with the chief and the district attorney, you might want to catch up."

"That's what I—" Noct tried to explain. "…Was trying to do," he finished to Ignis's quickly retreating back. The young man sighed and stood up. This wasn't going well at all. If Ignis really had been sent to whip him into shape, he was probably as disappointed in his progress as Noctis was frustrated in the way their relationship had started off. He'd have to figure out a way to patch things up and smooth them over before they got on location, or this mission was going to fail sensationally.

* * *

The conference room of the Insomnia Police Department could be a little intimidating. Whenever Chief Leonis needed to talk to someone, or to a couple of someones, they just went into the chief's office and closed the door. The conference room was usually reserved for interviewing witnesses, interrogating minor suspects, briefing small teams, and, like today, meeting with the DA.

District Attorney Gentiana Shiva had a reputation for being cold. She was beautiful, her lovely face frozen in a perpetual smile, but anyone who had ever spoken with her in any official capacity knew that behind her painted-on ruby lips was a razor blade tongue, sharpened for lashing. One glance from the woman made Noctis shiver.

"Thank you, gentlemen, for meeting with me," Cor said, sounding suspiciously formal. "Please have a seat." He gestured at the conference table. No one sat down. "I've asked District Attorney Shiva to join us for the briefing."

"Ma'am," Ignis greeted the DA.

"As you are both aware," Cor continued, "nearly every major shopping mall in the city has fallen victim to a large scale heist in the past two weeks. One of the few that hasn't been hit yet is the Central Insomnia Shopping Center, and as it the next apparent target, that's where we're sending you."

"How do we know that's the next target?" Noct wondered aloud.

Cor stared at him. "…Didn't you read the case notes?"

Noct glanced at his new partner, but Ignis's steely eyes were locked onto Cor's and his mouth was set in a grim line. Noct didn't want to throw the guy under the bus for hoarding the file until the last minute, so instead he held up the folder gripped in his hand and said, "Of course, Chief. I just didn't have a lot of time to go over the details."

"Time is of the essence," the DA cut in. "Children all over Insomnia are losing faith in Santa Claus. Not only gifts are being stolen, Detective; Christmas itself is at stake."

Noctis thought that was a bit melodramatic, but nodded understandingly. "Sorry, District Attorney Shiva. I was running a little late this morning and—"

Ignis sighed loudly in exasperation, turning his face away from Noct as he adjusted his glasses in an annoyed fashion.

Noct shot him a look.

Cor picked up a remote control from the conference table and aimed it at the ceiling, turning on a projector. District Attorney Shiva flipped the lights off so they could see the projection screen more clearly. They were looking at a map of Insomnia. Red boxes denoted every major shopping center in the city, and all but one of those boxes was filled with an "X."

"Look," Cor explained, pointing, "there are just three malls left in the city that haven't been hit by a robbery of late, and the Central Insomnia Shopping Center is the only one of them that is participating in the Secret Santa charity event."

Well, that couldn't have been more obvious. Noct could only say, "Oh."

Cor felt his embarrassment. "Now, we can't be certain the perps won't change their target once they've finished with the charity."

"Our criminal psychologist tells us they'll likely move on to riskier hits," the DA added, turning the lights back on. "Banks, private residences… Detectives, we can't have the people of this city terrorized. This has to end _tonight_."

"We won't let you down, ma'am," Noctis vowed. "I promise a sled full of bodies by the end of the night."

Ignis scoffed. "We will hardly be so reckless!" he interjected. "We may be dealing with one faction of a larger group. They will need to be alive for questioning. We will bring them in to face justice."

Cor glared at Noct pointedly. "This could be our last chance to catch these bastards in the act, so don't fuck it up." He turned to Gentiana. "Sorry, ma'am."

"No need to apologize." The DA walked up to Noctis, her smile almost as dazzling as her words were icy. "We don't need a massacre on our hands, Detective. I want you to do this by the book and I want it clean so I can put these criminals behind bars where they belong. Fuck it up, and you'll be back to writing tickets at parking meters for a long, long time."

Noct swallowed hard. He didn't bother telling her he'd never been a traffic cop. He had no doubt if she wanted him demoted to meter maid, she could make it happen.

"Detective Scientia, if this operation goes awry, you will be held equally accountable," the DA warned Ignis.

"Understood, ma'am."

"Good. Then you are both dismissed."

"Go downstairs and suit up," Cor instructed. "Take care of any business you need to tend to first. You're meeting with mall security at seven, and the shopping center closes at nine. After that, you're on your own."

"You got it, Chief," Noct agreed. But he had to wonder why Cor was only sending the two of them in without proper backup, if the crew was as heavily armed as suspected. He chose to believe Chief Leonis must have a lot of faith in his ability.

"Come on, Detective Scientia," Noct said, leading the way out of the conference room.

Ignis picked up their case file from the table and followed a little reluctantly. "What, exactly, is downstairs?" he wondered.

Noct just grinned. "You're gonna love it."


	3. Chapter 3

Noctis was accustomed to working the late shift. He had enjoyed sleeping in since he was a teenager, so being on the case overnight was nothing new, and it was frankly what he preferred. He wondered if Ignis was used to the hours. For some reason he suspected Detective Scientia was the type to wake early and follow a strict bedtime curfew. It was kind of touching Ignis was willing to change just for his sake, Noctis thought wryly.

Since they were on official business tonight they would be taking out one of the precinct's cars rather than driving a private vehicle.

Noctis led the way. "Cindy's a total badass," he told Ignis conversationally as they descended the stairwell leading to the basement. "She doubles as our station's mechanic, and keeps all the cars in pristine condition."

"Even the ones _you've_ driven?" Ignis challenged. Apparently he was aware of the younger detective's reputation for being a hot rod.

Noct shrugged. "She tries."

There was a key panel at the base of the staircase and Noctis stopped to enter his passcode. A green light flashed, a beeping sound rang out, then the door into the basement—housing the station's armory and on-site garage—swung open with an electronic hum.

Noctis stepped through the doorway and held the gate open for Ignis. But Ignis paused to enter a code of his own. Noct gave him a look. "You don't have to do that," he said, but Ignis waved him off.

"I do, per precinct regulations." He adjusted his glasses under Noctis's scrutiny. "I'm aware your code released the locking mechanism, but half the purpose of having the key panel is to track who comes and goes from restricted areas such as this. We're being watched, anyway," he added, causing Noctis to look up and meet the security camera's eye, "so I might as well obey the policy for the record."

Noct stared at him. "Nobody does that."

"They should. It's policy."

"Nobody does that," Noct repeated.

"But it's policy."

"Nobody cares."

"Oh, please!" Ignis sneered. "Do not attempt to assign your laissez faire attitude towards regulations to every man and woman in the building. I'm quite sure I cannot be the only one following key code panel policy."

"Oh, trust me," Noct muttered, walking away and leaving Ignis to get the door for himself, "you are."

* * *

Security was anything but lax so near to the armory, but the guys in the garage were used to seeing Noct around so they ignored him when he walked in. To be perfectly honest, most of them were relieved when the detective had gone deep undercover for an extended period of time; it meant fewer cars needed to be repaired and repainted. Now that he was back they knew they'd be working twice as hard just to keep up with the way he burned rubber and tended to go off-road with even the most suburban of sedans.

"This way," Noct gestured over his shoulder, leading Ignis toward a fenced-off lean-to that functioned as an office.

"Well, howdy, boys," said a cheerful voice with a thick Southern drawl. "What can I do ya for?" A woman in a mechanic's uniform with a ball cap keeping a nest of wild, dirty blond curls at bay smiled at them from behind a wooden shelf serving as a counter. Her cheek was smeared with a black streak of oil and she was up to her elbows in grease.

"Hey, Cindy." Noctis approached the counter, while Ignis hung back, his nose wrinkling at the smell of automobile chemicals lingering in the air. "We need a couple of vests, some firepower, and a car."

"Where's your manners?" Cindy scolded peering past Noct to the tall, bespectacled blond waiting some distance behind him. "Aren't ya gonna introduce me to your friend? Don't tell me you've got yerself a partner."

Noctis laughed. "Don't be coy; you know I do. The chief must have called down here and let you know… If I came down here on my own and asked you for a set of keys, you'd have Cid throw me out."

"Ain't that the truth!" Cindy laughed. "But it's still impolite to just come down here and demand service without a howdy-do."

"Sorry, Cindy." Noct waved to Ignis. "This is my partner, Detective Ignis Scientia. Detective Scientia, this is Sergeant Cynthia Aurum."

"Well, hi there, pardner," Cindy said as Ignis slowly walked up to the counter. Then she turned her attention back to Noctis. "And I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for askin'."

Noct rolled his eyes. "Can we skip the small talk? We have an appointment in an hour."

Cindy ran a tight ship, so even as she exchanged pleasantries with them, she was handing each of the detectives a clipboard and demanding to see their badges.

"Come on, Cindy," Noct complained. "How long have we known each other?"

Ignis sighed in annoyance. "You left your badge upstairs, didn't you?"

"Hey—I have it right here." Noct opened his jacket to reveal the identification sticking out of an inside pocket. "I just didn't feel like wasting time."

Ignis seemed personally offended by the remark. "Detective Lucis Caelum, protocol is _never_ a waste of time," he chided.

"Ooh, I like this one!" Cindy crooned.

Noct made a sound of disgust. "You would." But he filled out the request form, anyway.

It took Ignis twice as long to finish filling his out.

"Seriously, can you hurry it up?" Noct grumbled. "We do have to be on site _before_ it's robbed, you know."

Ignis scowled at him, but handed Cindy his clipboard. "I was just being thorough."

"Okay, boys, that'll do." Cindy signed each of the forms, then slid them free of the clipboards and handed them to an older man standing behind her. He gave them a glance, then deposited them in an outgoing mail basket. Cindy gave Noctis a look. "Sugar, you should check your forms before you hand in official requests. Paw-paw's eyes ain't that good anymore, but your spellin' sure don't help none."

Noct felt Ignis's eyes on him and his face grew warm. "I can spell just fine! You probably just couldn't read my writing."

Cindy's expression was one of disbelief. "Whatever you say, Detective." The silver-haired older man behind her cleared his throat. "Y'all said you were in a hurry, so follow Paw-paw to the armory and I'll get your car ready."

The old man shuffled out of the office shack and led them toward a metal door along the back wall. It was propped open by a cinder block so they ignored the key panel and just headed through and into a storage room where all the munitions were stowed.

"This is the armory?" Ignis wondered with surprise. Under his breath, he added, while looking at the cinder block, "I'm certain that violates at least half a dozen regulations…"

This time Noct ignored him. If they had any hope of ever getting along, he'd have to just dismiss some of his new partner's annoying habits. He hoped Ignis was willing to do the same.

"What size vest do you wear?" the old man asked.

Ignis adjusted his glasses as he answered, "Large, if you please."

Both of the other men looked at him dubiously.

"You sure? You're awful skinny."

Ignis lifted his chin. "I'm fairly certain I know my own—"

"Give him a medium, Cid," Noct interrupted.

Before Ignis could protest, the old man—surprisingly strong for his apparent age—threw a heavy, bullet-proof vest at him. Ignis had barely shrugged off his jacket in time to catch it, but found Noct was right: it fit like a second skin.

"And a small for you, little feller," Cid said, handing a second vest to Noct.

Now Noct _knew_ he was blushing. "Paw-paw," he growled with embarrassment.

Cid chuckled and fidgeted with a keyring to find the right key to open the handgun cabinet.

"…'Paw-paw'?" Ignis questioned the younger detective. "Is Sergeant Aurum your sister? A cousin, perhaps?"

Noct shook his head. "No! Cid's nobody's grandfather, not really. We just call him that cause he's old."

Ignis's eyes widened in shock. "Detective!" He glanced at the older man, but he didn't seem to have noticed. Perhaps his hearing wasn't so sharp at his age. But just in case, he lowered his voice so that only Noctis could hear. "You are aware, I do hope, that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits—"

"Specs, you really gotta learn to relax."

"I asked you not to call me that!"

"Cid doesn't mind it. Cindy started it, anyway, and…it's kind of hard to be mad at Cindy, you know?"

"That's hardly the point. If he felt he were being discriminated against based on his age, he might report you to HR, and then you—"

"I'm gonna report _you_ to HR if ya don't stop talkin' about me like I'm not even here," Cid growled.

Ignis gasped softly, taken aback. "My apologies if you were offended, Mr…?"

"The name's Cid." The older man offered Ignis a gun and clips. "But Paw-paw will do just fine."

Ignis glanced at Noct, who was smirking.

* * *

Once they had their gear and were outfitted for their mission, Noctis and Ignis returned to the lean-to shack for their vehicle assignment.

Cindy reached for a set of keys from the pegboard on the wall behind her and dangled it before them. "Who's driving?"

"I am," both Ignis and Noctis said in unison. The men grabbed for the keys at the same time and Cindy slipped her fingers free. They each stared at her defiantly.

Cindy threw up her hands. "I got nothin' to say about it. That's on y'all."

Ignis refused to relinquish the keys, twisting them painfully out of Noct's grasp. "I've read the damage reports for the vehicles you've mishandled," the blond said sternly, maintaining a firm grip on the keyring. "I'm not putting my life in your hands."

"Isn't that what partners do?" Noctis shot back at him.

"Not," Ignis retorted, "if they don't trust one another."

This time his words stung. When the blond turned his back and strode toward the exit, Noctis glowered at him.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure about this?" Noct sighed as Ignis climbed into the driver's seat and took the wheel.

"Never more certain about anything in my life," Ignis said with conviction.

Noct fell into the passenger seat and slammed his car door shut. He buckled his belt, slumping down sulkily. Having a partner sucked.

He waited impatiently as Ignis adjusted the driver's seat to account for his long legs, which Noct watched from the corner of his eye with more interest than he ought; fastened his seatbelt then tweaked the strap; and meticulously checked and calibrated all the mirrors. Only then did Ignis finally slide the key into the ignition and start the car, expertly backing out of its parking space before driving them smoothly out of the precinct garage and exiting onto the city street to get their mission underway. He didn't miss a single stop sign or neglect to use the turn signal, even once.

It was after rush hour, but traffic was still heavy with holiday shoppers and the later store hours accommodating them.

"You're gonna want to avoid Costlemark and take Balouve," Noct said from the passenger seat. He'd been itching to turn on the stereo, but he had a feeling he and Ignis had very different tastes. "Right here, Ignis. Right—hey, you missed the turn!"

"Please do be quiet. I don't care for backseat driving—or passenger-seat driving, as it were," Ignis said, lifting his chin confidently. "I know my way around downtown Insomnia."

"I thought you were from Tenebrae."

"I studied the road maps," Ignis retorted. "And I thought I told you to call me 'Detective Scientia'."

Ignis was glaring at him so hard, he nearly ran them into the trunk of the car in front of them.

"Ignis, watch out!" Noct shouted.

Detective Scientia slammed on the break, his expression shifting quickly from cool and condescending to surprised and alarmed. He was able to stop the car before they plowed into the vehicle in front of them, but he heard a thunk, and as soon as they were safely stopped he turned to look at his partner.

"Detective—are you all right?" Ignis asked with genuine concern.

Noct was rubbing his temple. "Yeah," he groaned. "Just hit my head."

"Do you need medical attention?" Ignis had his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Don't be stupid. I'm fine."

Ignis slowly relaxed his shoulders, taking a deep breath and easing his grip. The tail lights of a hundred vehicles glowed red against the orange and white striped barrels surrounding them. "…I apologize for the sudden stop. I was unaware of the congestion."

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Noctis sighed. "Costlemark's under construction. Balouve Avenue is the way we needed to go to avoid this mess. Now we're trapped."

Ignis was quiet for a long moment. He was remorseful not only just for getting them stuck in a traffic jam, but for the way he'd treated Noctis. He had blatantly berated the other man, when clearly he himself had been in the wrong. He wasn't sure what to say, other than, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not good enough." Noct looked at him sternly. "You may not like me, Detective Scientia, but you've got to trust that I _do_ know how to do my job. And I know this city. I love it, I love the Secret Santa charity, and those kids, and it's my job to protect them."

"…I don't dislike you," Ignis finally said after another long moment of silence, "just your methods. I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression."

Noct could live with that. "Then let's call a truce. Stop riding my ass so hard, and I'll try not to get you killed. Deal?"

Ignis looked back at him, and for once he saw him as a detective and not a juvenile delinquent. "…Agreed."

"Good." Noct let out a long breath, relieved they were finally making some headway. "Can I put on some music?"

"Absolutely not."

* * *

The detectives arrived at Central Insomnia Shopping Center at half-past seven, thirty minutes later than they were meant to.

"This way," Noct said as Ignis floundered around the entryway. Clearly the man was about as familiar with Insomnia's largest mall as he was with its city streets.

But Noctis had been here a hundred times, and he knew where mall security was located. He led the way down a side corridor toward the office at a brisk pace he hoped Ignis would approve of, and within minutes they were seated at a desk with a nervous security guard who was doing his best to cooperate and answer all their questions to their satisfaction. Security agreed to be out of the building by ten, once they'd made certain all employees and shoppers had exited for the night, and the rest of the operation would be up to Ignis and Noctis.

"We should do some reconnaissance," Detective Scientia suggested, once they had vacated the security office. "You may be familiar with this location, but I am not."

"Good idea," Noctis agreed.

"We should keep an eye out for any suspicious persons or activities."

Not nodded his assent. "Do you want to split up? We can probably cover more ground that way."

Ignis was clearly doubtful of the plan, but at least this time he didn't outright shoot Noct down. "How will I contact you?"

"Give me your number," Noct said, sliding his cell phone out of his back pocket. Then he saw Ignis was frowning. "Oh, come on!" he groaned at his partner. "It's for work purposes only. I promise no drunk-texting."

Ignis made a little sound, but he finally agreed. "Fine. My number is 555-9934."

Noct typed a few things into his phone, then tucked it back into his pocket. "I'll take the west end; it's larger and more confusing."

"Then I'll go east." Ignis had finally agreed with him on something. "Take note of your surroundings and watch people's behavior. A thief won't necessarily look like a criminal. He or she may—"

"Detective Scientia," Noct interrupted, "I've been on stakeouts before."

"Oh." Ignis looked at him, surprised to find himself startled to be as formally addressed as he'd requested. "Right. Where shall we meet up once we've made our rounds?"

"How about Starbucks?" Noct suggested. "It's right in front of the charity setup, so it's a great vantage point to watch for any suspicious people lurking around at closing time." He shrugged. "And we can get some coffee." He knew Ignis liked coffee.

"Excellent suggestion," Ignis said, so readily that Noct couldn't help but smile.

"Cool. See you in a bit."

Ignis nodded and headed out, halting when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate. He'd cut ties with his few friends back in Tenebrae, so he had no idea who might be calling now.

It turned out to be a text from Noctis. Of a beer mug.


	5. Chapter 5

Ignis patrolled his route as directed. Mere days before Christmas, shopping was a hectic, almost violent sport. He was tall enough that he was able to avoid colliding with other people and the pop-up shops cluttering the hallway between the rows of stores, but when he glanced over his shoulder to watch for Detective Lucis Caelum, the smaller man was lost in the sea of frantic shoppers.

He walked past the bookstore slowly, keeping a casual but trained eye through the window on the adults seated inside, drinking coffee and reading newspapers, books, and magazines. If one needed to kill time before a robbery, books, he felt sure, would be a likely diversion. No one struck him as particularly suspicious or interesting, however, and he moved on, lest he appear to be suspicious, himself.

There were jewelry and shoe stores to Ignis's left, and he felt a little guilty that his eyes were drawn to the sale signs displayed in their windows. He had no one to shop for but himself, but he had been so busy with the move from Tenebrae and claiming a desk at the Insomnia office he had almost forgotten it was even Christmas, until he was assigned to this case. To the right was a kitchen appliance store and he groaned to himself a little at the "sold out" signs on several shelves. He really had needed to buy a few such practical things for his new apartment, but it seemed he must have missed out on the best deals.

Before long he was out of hallway and had to turn around and head back. Hopefully Noctis wouldn't take too long, but he had stated he had more ground to cover. At least it was familiar territory for the younger detective.

Soon Ignis had managed to secure a table just inside the doorway of Starbucks and had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He checked his phone to see if his partner had come across anything of interest, but the last message he had was the beer mug emoji. He sighed and shook his head, tucking his phone away.

It was more than 30 minutes before Noctis reappeared, and he was not empty-handed: the young detective was carrying armloads of shopping bags.

Ignis sputtered on his lukewarm coffee. "W-what have you done? Where did you go? What have you been doing for the past half hour?!"

Noct shrugged, giving his bags a shake. "Shopping."

"Shopping!" Ignis repeated incredulously, rising from the table where he'd been seated. "You _are_ aware that we're working? You _do_ realize this is a job, and not personal leave?"

"I realize," Noctis answered through gritted teeth, leaning closer so no one else could hear him, "we're undercover right now. As _shoppers_." He shook his bags again. "Make sense?"

Ignis sighed heavily. It was clearly a habit. "You were _supposed_ to be checking out the other shoppers; not shopping yourself," he grumbled, sinking back down into his chair. People had started to stare and he regretted letting his temper get the better of him for a moment.

"But what if the robbers are inside the stores?" Noct pointed out. He set his shopping bags down between the table and the glass window where they'd be safely out of the way. "Besides, Games-4-Geeks had the collector's edition of King's Knight III on sale for $19.99. You can't beat that."

"I wouldn't know," Ignis muttered, apparently sulking.

"Come on! Don't tell me you don't play video games."

"Then I shan't say anything."

"Seriously?" Now Noctis was the incredulous one. "What do you do for fun?"

Ignis suddenly seemed uncomfortable. "I find my job very enjoyable, in fact."

"Get out!" The dark-haired detective shook his head. "No wonder," he mumbled, remembering the names people called his partner, the things they said about his personality and general manner.

"What?"

"Nothing." Noct noticed Ignis had a drink, but he was beginning to wonder if Ignis had been waiting a while. That would explain his agitation. "I'm going to get some hot chocolate. Can I get you anything? Another coffee?"

"Black," Ignis said with a short nod.

Noctis grinned. "I know how you take your coffee. Remember, the breakroom? Right before you bit my head off, I saw you at the coffee pot."

Ignis looked _quite_ uncomfortable. "I apologize. I realize my manner was rather abrupt…"

Noct shrugged. "No biggie. I'm sure you had your reasons. I'll be right back."

The younger man walked up to the counter to order, and returned a few moments later with a cup for each of them. He drew the second chair out from under the table and set it down closer to Ignis so they could both keep an eye out. Just outside of the café stood the towering Christmas tree of the Secret Santa charity, presents piled high on a sleigh and Santa himself seated in a tall-backed, red, wooden chair, taking lists from the children lined up to see him. If Santa, his elves, the kids, or even their parents knew anything was amiss, they weren't showing it. Noct could see their eyes sparkling as they reflected the glow of the Christmas tree lights from his seat at the table.

"Aren't the holidays great?" Noct sighed, unable to keep from smiling as he emptied a packet of marshmallows into his cocoa. "The lights, the music…"

"The hustle and bustle…" Ignis tacked on. "No, thank you."

"Really?" Noctis shot his partner a look. "You don't like Christmas? I mean, you strike me as a pretty serious guy, but not a Scrooge."

Ignis forced a smile. "Not a Scrooge, just…indifferent."

"Indifferent?" Noct half-turned to better see Ignis's face. "How can you be indifferent to singing carols, watching Christmas movies with your family, drinking hot chocolate by the fire, opening presents?!"

Ignis gave a somewhat hopeless shrug. "My family didn't celebrate Christmas."

"Wha…?" Noct gave him a look. Slowly his eyed widened. "Oh, gods—you're Jewish?!"

"No." Ignis looked as though he might laugh, but there was something deadly serious about his eyes, and he wasn't quite meeting Noctis's gaze. Then he explained, "I came out to my parents when I was just fourteen. They put me out of their home, and I was raised by my uncle. He wasn't one for family celebrations, so…my last Christmas holiday was when I was thirteen years old, and I can hardly remember it."

Noct was silent as he stared at Ignis. Had he heard all of that right? "I'm sorry, did you say your parents kicked you out of the house because you're…?"

"Gay, yes," Ignis answered calmly, taking a sip of his fresh coffee.

Noctis swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry," he said, fighting the instinct to put his hand on Ignis's shoulder. "I didn't know."

"Being queer is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Oh—I know!" Noct said quickly. "I mean the rest—about your folks and stuff."

"How could you have known?" Ignis shook his head. "It was a very long time ago. I don't think of it. And I don't regret telling them; on my own, I've been able to live my life with as much dignity as I deserve."

Noct slowly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I understand. That's very brave of you. I mean, you had to have known how they'd react…"

Ignis adjusted his glasses. "I suspected they would disapprove, but there is hardly anything I could have done about it. I had not anticipated the depths of their ire, but…my uncle was an adequate provider."

Something about his tone made it evident Ignis only meant financially. It was growing clear to Noctis that Ignis had been sorely lacking in love in his life. No wonder he didn't have any friends at the precinct; he didn't know how to make them. He'd been alone for so long.

"My mother died when I was three," Noct said suddenly. He knew Ignis hadn't asked, but his partner had opened up to him, and suddenly he yearned to reciprocate, find some common ground with a man he was beginning to respect, and even like. "I don't remember her, not really, but my dad always bought her favorite perfume on Christmas. He never remarried, or even dated, but he sprayed that perfume on her pillow throughout the year, just to remember the way she smelled." Noctis reached down for one of his shopping bags, a small white one with gold lettering on the front that read, "Happy Holidays." He continued, "I used to curl up in his bed and hug that pillow and try to remember her, too. I can't anymore, but I'll never forget the way she smelled." He reached into the bag and pulled out a small box to show Ignis.

"…Angel's Breath," Ignis murmured, reading the label on the perfume box. "…Carrying on the family tradition?" he asked softly.

"I'm the only one who can, now," Noct answered, tucking the perfume away again. "My dad's in a nursing home."

Ignis looked at him. "But…you're very young."

"He has Parkinson's disease," Noct explained.

"Oh, I—I'm sorry to hear that."

"But he was cool when I came out," Noct offered. "My dad and I have always been very close, especially since Mom…you know."

"When you…came out?" Ignis prompted. "Then, you mean—"

"I'm gay," Noct answered, giving Ignis a grin. "And single, by the way."

Ignis quickly turned his attention back to his coffee cup. "…I see." He suddenly changed the topic. "Your mother… How did she…?"

"Car accident," Noct replied. "It was New Year's eve. A drunk driver crossed an intersection during a red light, way over the speed limit."

"My word! How awful…"

"I guess hearing about it as I grew up kind of made me want to keep people safe from things like that," Noct sighed with a little shrug. "You know, keep the streets safe. And families.

"A noble endeavor."

"How about you, Detective Scientia?"

"Hm?" Ignis drew a breath. "Oh—call me Ignis." Noct smiled brilliantly at him. "I joined the force because I ran out of money for law school."

Suddenly Noct laughed. "I knew it."

"…Knew what?"

"You're such a nerd."

Ignis grunted indignantly. "No, I'm not!"

"I sent you towards the bookstore. Don't tell me you weren't even a little tempted." Noct crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow in challenge.

"There are excellent sales this time of year," Ignis said defensively. "Some of us, however, are capable of exerting a little self-control while on duty."

"I knew it," Noct said again, blowing across the surface of his marshmallow-filled hot chocolate mug.

"You don't know me at all!" Ignis argued.

"But I'm trying to _get_ to know you. I'm starting to think having a partner may not be such a pain in the ass, after all."

"I've decided quite the opposite."

Noct just laughed. "It's kind of adorable, how irritating you think I am."

Ignis sighed. "I never said you were irritating."

"But you think it. And you really are."

Ignis sipped his coffee broodily. "Are what?"

"Adorable."

Ignis set his cup down and cleared his throat. He suddenly felt hot. "It's dreadfully warm in here. I wish we weren't carrying, so I could take this jacket off."

Noct looked him over. "You look good in a suit."

The blond man ran a hand along his silk tie. "It wouldn't kill you to wear a tie once in a while, you know."

"How do you know I don't wear ties?"

Ignis seemed to grow more flustered. "I have noticed you around…"

"Have you?" Noct was growing curious, but suddenly Ignis seemed to be avoiding looking him in the eye. "Hey, I got you something," he said unexpectedly, reaching down into another shopping bag.

"What?" Now Ignis seemed almost alarmed. "You didn't have to— I mean, we've only just met. We're on duty. You needn't feel compelled to—"

"Shut up. It's no big deal." Noct opened a plain white box and pulled out a mug from inside. He turned it around to face Ignis. In bold, black font, the mug read: "World's Best Partner."

"Oh, come now." Ignis adjusted his glasses. Noct was sure he was blushing. "We've only been working together for a few hours. And I nearly crashed the car."

"I'm having fun, anyway," Noct shrugged. "Merry Christmas. Why don't you go ahead and pour your coffee into your new mug?"

"…I like to wash things before I use them," Ignis declined.

Noctis laughed. "I am not shocked."


	6. Chapter 6

As promised, mall security made sure the entire building was clear by ten. Ignis insisted Noctis put his shopping bags in the car before the doors locked them in for the night, and after the lockdown Noct lingered by the doors for a while, watching the parking lot empty out. Then he headed for the security office to see what Ignis was up to.

He found the other man seated at a control panel, checking various monitors for any signs of activity.

Ignis turned when he heard Noct's footsteps. "Just in time, Detective," he called out. "I've just figured out how to switch between cameras. We can keep an eye on the parking lot from here, and see when our marks appear."

"Ignis, you can call me 'Noct,' you know," the dark-haired detective said, leaning against the doorframe. "We should walk around for a while, stretch our legs while we have the chance. They've never attacked a target before midnight, if I remember right."

"So you _did_ read up on the case." Ignis sounded surprised. "I feel like saying I'm impressed, but that's what you should have done in the first place."

"Well," Noct laughed, "you kind of scared me away from your desk."

Ignis looked sheepish. "I must apologize, Noct. I misjudged you based on your reputation without getting to know you first. I was wrong."

Noct stared at him. "Say that again."

The corners of his mouth downturning in a slight frown, Ignis repeated, "I was wrong about you. I apologize."

"Not that," Noct said, shaking his head. "My name. You called me 'Noct'."

"I thought you asked me to."

"I did, but I wasn't sure you would."

Ignis looked a little uncomfortable.

"You're flushed. Are you still warm?" Noct asked, finally stepping into the room. "You can take your jacket off now. There's nobody here but us."

"Y-yes, I believe I will." Ignis rose from his seat at the panel and shrugged off his jacket. Before he could do so himself, Noct was taking it from his hands and hanging it over the back of the chair.

"So what do you say?" Noct asked.

"About what?"

"Stretching our legs a little." Noctis jerked a thumb back over his shoulder. "The perps won't be here for maybe hours, so we should get some exercise before we just sit around here and get sleepy, don't ya think?"

After a moment's consideration, Ignis nodded. "Sounds reasonable."

"Great! Then let's go."

* * *

"So, where are you staying?" Noct wondered, leading the way down the corridor. "You moved here from Tenebrae, right?"

Ignis nodded. "That is correct. I found an apartment on the East side of Insomnia."

Noctis whistled. "Nice places over that way. Did you inherit some money from your uncle or something?"

"No, he's still living. It's just an efficiency apartment."

"Ah."

"Perhaps when this is over, I'll come back and pick up a few things to spruce up the place."

Noctis nodded understandingly. "Books."

"I was thinking perhaps a mixer."

Noct gave his partner a look.

"I do other things besides read!" Ignis said indignantly.

"So you work, read, and cook," Noct enumerated, "but what else? What do you do for fun?"

"I _do_ find those activities enjoyable."

"Yeah, but…what else?" Noct asked curiously as they strolled side by side. "You don't play video games. Do you watch TV?"

"Not often…"

"Movies?"

Ignis looked down at the shorter man questioningly. "Is there a point to this line of questioning?"

"Just wondering what you like to do on dates."

Ignis was so startled that he nearly staggered. He drew a sharp breath that was nearly a gasp. "Noct, I appreciate that you'd like to get to know each other, but—"

"You have a boyfriend," Noct guessed.

"No. I mean—that's not the point." Ignis felt his ears burning. "I just don't think fraternizing with a coworker is appropriate."

"Well, how else are you going to meet somebody?" Noct looked him over in a serious appraisal. "You don't strike me as the type of guy who cruises bars."

"Certainly not," Ignis said sternly, pushing his glasses further up his nose. The crystalline lenses of his spectacles briefly flashed red, green, and gold. "And I don't think it's any concern of—"

"Wait."

"What?" Ignis stopped walking and talking and looked down as Noctis suddenly grasped his forearm. The younger detective was pointing with his other hand, and Ignis turned his head to see where his finger was aiming.

"It's the charity display," Noct explained as they stared down the hall at the towering Christmas tree. The overhead lights in the mall had been turned off, except for the dim emergency lighting, and the blinking lights shining and reflecting on the tree's bulbs and ornaments cast a beautiful glow that was undeniably magical.

"…Magnificent," Ignis breathed. He might not have any special attachment to the holidays, but even he found the sight of a thousand dazzling lights in the darkness beautiful.

"Let's go check it out!" Noct said excitedly. Before Ignis could respond, the younger man was already jogging toward the display.

"Noct—!" Ignis hissed, but he was too late. He scurried to catch up to Noct just as his dark-haired partner was jimmying open the gate into the charity's present hoard. "Noct, what are you doing? This is the _last_ place we should be, when this is precisely where the thieves will strike!"

"Just checking it out while we have the chance," Noct said, stepping through the gate as though he were stepping into a winter wonderland.

The green fence barely reached as high as his hips, and was probably meant to keep order amongst the children who were clamoring to get inside and tell Santa about their Christmas wishes. The floor of the charity display was covered with puffy, white fabric meant to simulate snow. It glistened just like the real thing, thanks to a generous sprinkling of silver glitter. To the left was a life-size sleigh, piled high with lovingly wrapped gifts that had either been donated or had been bought with charity donations. And in front of the tree was Santa's own chair, painted red, cushioned with velvet seats, and adorned by gold bells.

"This is awesome!" Noct laughed.

"You sound like a kid," Ignis commented, but Noct could hear the smile in his tone.

He followed Noctis as the other detective walked closer to the sleigh. There were three animatronic reindeer posed as if to pull it.

"Wonder how this works…" Noct murmured, looking around for a switch.

"Noct," Ignis protested, "I don't think we should—"

But Noct had already found the switchbox attached to the cord and suddenly Rudolph's nose was glowing bright red, and his companions' heads began bobbing mechanically.

That wasn't all. A train set had been activated, and it began circling the Christmas tree while puffing little clouds of steam from its chimney.

"It's a little loud, don't you think?" Noct asked.

Ignis nodded, wincing. In the deserted mall, the toys certainly echoed.

"Maybe there's something…yeah, this is it!"

Ignis's jaw dropped and his eyes widened when he saw Noct had located a sound system. "Don't—!"

He anticipated some modern rendition of classic carols to begin blasting through the speakers, but instead the delicate chime of a music-box version of "Silent Night" began playing. Noctis adjusted the volume until it was just loud enough to cover up the mechanical whirrs of the animated toys, then turned to Ignis with a grin.

"Okay, _now_ tell me how much you don't love Christmas!"

Ignis shrugged helplessly, unable to fight off a smile as he gazed at the charming display unfolding around them. "There _is_ something terribly romantic about it all," he was forced to admit.

"Romantic, huh?" Noct's expression shifted almost imperceptibly, and he stepped closer.

Ignis felt a flutter in his chest and swallowed to quell it. "Well…you know what I meant."

Noctis reached out unexpectedly. "You wanna dance?" he asked, reaching out and touching Ignis's hip.

"Oh—no, please don't do that." Ignis took a step back.

Noct didn't pursue. "Okay." Instead he walked over to Santa's chair and claimed a seat. Then he patted his knee. "Hey, Ignis, wanna sit in my lap and tell me your Christmas wish?"

Ignis gasped. "D-don't be absurd!"

"Come on, lighten up!" Noctis grumbled. "We're alone."

"And on camera!"

"Then we're already in trouble for playing with the display." Noctis shrugged. "You don't _really_ have to sit on my lap, Ignis. Just…tell me. Really. If you could have anything, what would you like for Christmas?"

He didn't think Ignis was going to play along, the older man's expression unreadable between the darkness and the flashing, colored lights. But then Ignis said, "To reconcile with my parents."

Noct drew a soft breath of surprise.

Ignis stepped a little closer. "Spending time with you today, getting to know you and hearing your story, made me realize something: life is too short for petty disputes." He sounded determined. "I'm going to reach out to my parents when this is all over, and ask to reconcile. Perhaps I won't be alone for Christmas, after all."

"Ignis…" Noct felt his heart swell. "You know, you don't have to be alone for Christmas, regardless. However it plays out, I want you to know I'd be happy to hang out with you. We can watch 'Die Hard' and make popcorn strands for the tree."

"…'Die Hard'?" Ignis cocked his head dubiously.

"It's a Christmas movie!" Noct defended. "Technically… Anyway, what I'm trying to say is… I don't know how things were on the force in Tenebrae, but in Insomnia, we're family."

Ignis smiled, clearly touched. "Noct, I… Thank you."

It might have only been the reflection of the lights on his glasses again, but Noctis thought Ignis's eyes might be glistening.

The music-box melody changed from "Silent Night" to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and Ignis lifted the knuckles of one hand to his nose and sniffled discreetly. "You know, I think perhaps I _would_ like to dance…if you still want to."

What Noct found himself suddenly wanting to do was to put his arms around Ignis.

Dancing together was the next best thing.

"Sure, Specs," Noctis said softly. He rose from Santa's seat and offered a hand to his partner. Ignis only hesitated for a moment before accepting it, and Noctis held the other man's fingers gently in his own as he stepped closer and wound an arm around the other man's waist.

Ignis was the taller of the two men, but he placed his free hand on the shorter man's shoulder and allowed Noctis to lead. He was stunned to find the younger man was actually quite skilled at doing so. And the way Noctis stared into his eyes as they slowly turned and danced around the exhibition made Ignis feel vulnerable and close to him in a way he hadn't been with anyone in a very long time.

"You're full of surprises," Ignis murmured.

"Huh?" Noct had been so captivated by Ignis's eyes, he was a little startled to hear him suddenly speak. "What do you mean?"

"Just that…you're nothing like I imagined," Ignis confessed. "And you really do know how to dance."

"You dreaded working with me, didn't you?" Noctis accused playfully.

Ignis couldn't deny it. "I'm sorry I attacked you in the break room that way… I think it was my way of defending myself, of trying to control a situation I wasn't sure I could handle."

"What situation?" Noctis laughed. "Do you mean _me?_ "

Ignis shrugged helplessly. "Your personnel file was filled with property damage reports. Explosions, collisions, and a vast array of injuries to civilians…"

"Yeah, but those were just the bad guys," Noctis vowed. "No innocent person has ever been hurt on my watch."

"I know," Ignis said quietly. "That is, I realize that now. I was so preoccupied by everything reckless thing you've done that I failed to see your merits."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I was wrong about you, too," Noct murmured.

"Oh?" Ignis intoned. "I'm afraid to ask…"

Noct grinned and told him anyway. "I thought you were boring, bossy, nerdy, and stiff."

"And," asked Ignis nervously, "have I given you any cause to change your mind?"

"Totally," Noct said in earnest. The arm around Ignis's waist tightened just slightly. "You're actually very warm, and sweet. You've been apologizing to me all night, but you didn't have to. You weren't completely wrong about me, you know. I _am_ a little reckless, but it's just because I want to protect the people I care about. And _you_ want the same thing; that's why you try to do everything the right way, by the book. But there's more to you than meets the eye, Ignis Scientia. Sometimes, I think, you just have to throw caution to the wind and trust your instincts."

Ignis was moved to find he'd made such an impression on the other man, and that Noctis was even willing to look past his aloof exterior to get to know and understand who he truly was. The hand on Noct's shoulder balled into a fist, tightening around the fabric of his jacket. "And what are your instincts telling you now?"

"Mine are telling me," Noctis said slowly, "that you wouldn't mind if I took advantage of the fact that we're dancing under mistletoe right now."

Ignis glanced up with surprise. Dangling over their heads was indeed a sprig of leaves. He lowered his chin again and found Noctis looking at him intensely. But Noct apparently wasn't going to proceed until he knew he had permission, and after quickly weighing the consequences against what he felt he needed tonight, Ignis slipped his hand free of Noct's and draped his arm lightly around Noct's neck.

Noct reached up and cupped Ignis's face. Despite his distant demeanor, he knew Ignis was a flesh and blood man, and lonely in spite of the way he intentionally put everyone off. And knowing that allowed him to see past Ignis's mask and realize what an actually beautiful man he was. He wanted to kiss him, and Ignis seemed to want him to.

He pressed closer and drew Ignis's face down to meet his. The first touch of their mouths was softer than he could have ever imagined. Despite the way Ignis's lips always seemed to be drawn into a disapproving line, they were supple and yielding against his own. Noctis felt confident enough to kiss Ignis more firmly, knowing the other man genuinely desired for him to, and immediately Ignis was reciprocating—almost hungrily. Noctis found himself unable to resist deepening the kiss, parting Ignis's lips with his and lightly touching his tongue to the other man's, tasting coffee on his warm breath.

It was a delicious kiss, but Noct was beginning to want more, and even he was aware they were on duty. He ended the touch of their mouths as tenderly as he'd begun it, drawing Ignis's lower lip into his mouth to run his tongue faintly along its tender skin before he finally drew back and released his gentle hold on the other man's face.

"What about you, Noct?" Ignis asked, his voice breathy. "What's _your_ Christmas wish?"

Noct whispered in reply, "You just granted it."

This time Ignis initiated a kiss without prompting. He wrapped both arms around Noctis's neck and kissed him as if it was what he had wanted to do all night, as if he was starved for the taste of him.

Noct reached for Ignis's hips, giving them a light squeeze before winding his arms around Ignis's waist and pulling his body closer. He wondered how long it had been since Ignis had been kissed, for him to allow himself this indulgence while they were at work. It didn't matter; they were kissing each other now, and in the moment that was all Noctis cared about.

Then someone said, "Well, ain't that the sweetest thing you ever saw?"


	7. Chapter 7

Still clinging to one another, Noctis and Ignis stared at each other with wide eyes. They'd heard an unfamiliar voice, but so far hadn't seen anyone.

"Hide!" Noctis whispered, letting go of Ignis and pushing him towards Santa's chair. Then he dove behind the sound system, drawing his weapon the second he was under cover.

"Yes, indeed!" intoned a fanciful voice that was accompanied by the slow, swaggering sounds of confident bootfalls. "Quite the festive display."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled a woman's voice. "All I care about is that this time we have some actual light to see by."

Noct made sure Ignis was hidden behind the oversized chair before turning his attention to the dark shadows parading around the outer fence of the charity setup. A tall man in a large hat and long coat was leading three others: a woman clad in black leather, and two large men in masks who were clearly the muscle of the party. If they were armed, Noctis couldn't tell.

"Don't you just love this time of year?" the man in the hat purred as he opened the gate and stepped into the exhibit. "The colorful lights, the ringing bells, the beautifully-wrapped presents…" He lifted a small, red-and-green striped package from the sleigh, tossing it back and forth between two gloved hands. "Merry Christmas to me."

"Biggs! Wedge!" the woman barked, and the two muscleheads snapped to attention. "You heard Mr. Izunia! Get these gifts loaded up and outta here! We have a store to stock."

"We're on it, Aranea!"

"Done in a minute."

 _Izunia?_ Noctis thought, slowly and quietly drawing his gun from its holster. _I know that name… Wait—_ Ardyn _Izunia? The Secret Santa Charity's_ founder?!

It was no wonder the thieves had access to the mall, in that case, and knew just when and where to set it up. The whole charity had turned into some kind of con! The founder was scamming his own patrons!

Noct felt a hot rage beginning to bubble inside. This was the most despicable thing he'd ever heard of. He couldn't let Ardyn get away with it.

He watched quietly as Ardyn strolled casually over to Santa's seat and fell gracefully into it, one long leg thrown over the arm while his henchmen did the hard labor. Biggs and Wedge, under the direction of the woman, Aranea, tossed all the presents from the sleigh into a large, wheeled bin on the outer side of the fence, the kind of cart typically used by janitors for gathering up the trash. Noct remained motionless, but saw Ignis peek around the side of the chair to catch his eye. The woman and her brutes were on their way back to the exit with their first load of loot, leaving them alone with the leader of the pack. Noct made a gesture to let Ignis know he was about to make an arrest, and Ignis nodded in agreement. He had his back.

Suddenly the dark-haired detective rolled out from behind the sound system, landing on his feet directly in front of the con man. "Off that chair, Grinch," Noctis quipped, aiming his gun at the man in the hat. "Santa sits there."

If nothing else, he'd caught the man off guard. Ardyn's mouth parted in a silent gasp, but he didn't get up or even change his relaxed pose.

"Well, well, well," he sang instead. "Are you a vigilante, or has Insomnia PD finally caught on, I wonder?" He tossed the package back and forth between his hands without any sign of concern. "Such a shame… One night more, and this would all have been over."

"It's over now," Noct said angrily. "I'm Detective Noctis Lucis Caelum of Insomnia PD. And you're under arrest!"

Ardyn laughed, a low sound of pure amusement. "Oh, am I?"

Noctis shook his head. "How could you do it—rob your own charity? How could you steal from innocent little kids, do this to their families? What about the volunteers? The people using donations to purchase toys, the ones wrapping all the gifts? Were they in on it, too?"

This time Ardyn let out an exaggerated sigh. "What is it about wintertime that makes everyone so damnably dull? So consumed with giving to others when 'tis just as much the season of receiving?"

"Because," Noct replied, "it's Christmas. And I won't let you ruin it for anyone, ever again!"

"All right," Ardyn said, holding up a palm in peace offering. "I give up. You caught me." Now, he said, quickly taking aim, "catch this!" He suddenly threw the package he was holding at Noctis.

It was small, so although it was well-aimed, Noct was able to knock it away easily. But he had been distracted just long enough for the woman to return and catch him trying to make his arrest.

"Who invited this guy to the party?"

Noct barely had time to turn his head in the direction of her voice before Aranea was suddenly using a string of Christmas lights like a whip, slapping the gun from his hand.

It turned out the criminals were packing heat, after all. Ardyn climbed out of the chair and kicked Noct's gun out of reach, then theatrically withdrew one of his own from inside his long coat. "No one," he answered. "Quite rude, really, showing up uninvited. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave—this mortal coil!"

Ardyn cocked the hammer of his gun with an audible sound. He lifted his arm and aimed directly between the detective's dark blue eyes.

Then suddenly Ignis was scrambling out from behind Santa's chair, screaming his name.

"Noooooct!"

Before Noctis even knew what was happening, Ignis was shoving him aside.

A shot rang out and both detectives hit the ground.

Noct quickly sat up. "Ignis!" he yelled. His partner was lying on his back, very still. Noct flung himself in front of the other man's motionless form, glaring up at Ardyn furiously.

"That man took a bullet for you," Ardyn said, taking aim at Noct once again. "Now you can take one for him!"

"Drop it, asshole!" boomed a familiar voice. "Or the next gun that goes off will be mine!"

Noct almost collapsed with relief as Ardyn growled and opened his hand, letting his weapon drop. "Gladio!" he shouted. "Ignis has been hit."

"The paramedics are already on the way," Prompto called from the other side of the fence. Noct turned to see the rookie cop had the woman already handcuffed.

"There are two men with them," Noct began to warn his friends.

But as Gladio took Ardyn roughly by the shoulder and turned him around to cuff his wrists, he cut him off. "We know; Cor's already got them on ice."

At the sound of a groan coming from behind him, Noct whirled around and inspected Ignis for the gunshot wound. Ardyn had apparently hit him in the shoulder. He tore off his own jacket and wadded it up, pressing the fabric to the injury to help slow the bleeding. "Hang on, Ignis," he pleaded. "Just hold on for a few minutes and we'll get you to the hospital."

"…Detective Lucis…" Ignis groaned. It sounded like they weren't on a first-name basis anymore.

"I'm sorry," Noct said, his eyes misting with regret. "I'm so sorry!" No innocent had ever been hurt while he was on a case. This was a first, and it was all his fault.

Ignis started to say something else, his voice weak, but mercifully the paramedics arrived with a stretcher and Noct found himself pushed out of the way.

He climbed to his feet and watched as the medics worked, doing a quick patch job on Ignis before moving him onto the stretcher and hoisting him up. Noct followed them outside, numb to the cold night air as he watched from a distance as the men loaded his partner into the back of an ambulance.

The mall parking lot was swarming with police cars. So Cor and Gentiana hadn't trusted just the two of them to take care of this job alone, after all, Noct realized.

"Good work tonight, Detective."

Noct looked up and found his boss standing at his side, smoking a cigarette. It was what Cor did every time things went right.

"But, Chief, my partner got shot."

"I hear it's just a minor injury. He'll recover. In the meantime," Cor said, clapping Noct on the shoulder, "you prevented another robbery from occurring and caught the mastermind behind the thefts. And there's not a scratch on the car, to boot! It might be a little early to say this, but you can look forward to another commendation for closing the case."

"Thanks," Noct said feebly, "but Gladio and Prompto made the arrests. And Ignis was the one driving—and I got him hurt. I don't think I deserve a medal for that." The ambulance turned on its flashing lights and took off. His eyes followed the vehicle's taillights until they had vanished. "Do you mind if I take off? I want to go to the hospital. I know Ignis may be in surgery for a while, but I want to be there for him."

"Did you two end up getting along, after all?" Cor cocked his head curiously. "Do you think that's what he'd want?"

"I don't know, now," Noctis sighed, "but I need to be there. We're family."


	8. Epilogue

Ignis heard a gentle rap on the door and looked up as it slowly opened. His glasses were off, but he still recognized the dark head peeking into his hospital room.

"Noct…"

Noct stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Hey there… I wasn't sure you'd want to see me when you woke up, but…Ignis, I had to see you."

"Of course I wanted you to be here," Ignis said with surprise. "Why shouldn't I?"

"…Because I got you shot?" Noct offered warily. "Or did you forget that part?"

"I remember the event quite clearly," Ignis stated, "and I know for a fact it was Ardyn Izunia who pulled the trigger. Noct…" He reached out for the other man, who was near enough to the bed he could make out most of his features now. "You have no reason to feel guilty. The bullet didn't damage anything important, and in a few weeks my shoulder will be good as new."

"Ignis, if you hadn't taken the hit for me, I'd probably be in the morgue right now," Noct said quietly. "I don't know what to say."

"Oh, come now, it's nothing special…"

Noct laughed. "They must have you on some good shit. You're talking nonsense."

"They must; I can't feel a thing," Ignis confessed. "But I'm sure in a few days I'll be calling for your resignation."

Noct laughed again. Ignis had a sense of humor. A somewhat dark one, but he liked it.

"I brought you something," he said, holding up what Ignis had first assumed to be a bouquet of roses, but what turned out to be a red poinsettia. "It's all the gift shop has in stock right now…"

"Well, it _is_ Christmas."

"I don't suppose all this is going to make you much more of a fan than you were," Noct mumbled, setting the plant down on the bedside table.

"That depends," Ignis responded. "Are we still on for 'Die Hard' and popcorn?"

Noctis smiled and leaned over the bed, gently caressing Ignis's cheek. "We are, even if I have to bring the DVD and microwave here."

"…Noct." Ignis reached up and unexpectedly pushed his hand away. "As much as I enjoyed what happened between us last night—"

"You mean the kissing, right?" Noct joked. "Not the part where you took a bullet for me?"

"I mean all of it," Ignis said seriously. "If I'm to be honest, my feelings for you are stronger than that of camaraderie for a trustworthy partner. I did like kissing you, but as I said before, it is inappropriate for us to be in any sort of personal relationship while we're working together."

"What's the big deal?" Noct shrugged, taking hold of Ignis's hand. "We like each other. And we're just a couple of detectives; it's not like you're my boss or anything."

Ignis grimaced. "That's something I need to discuss with you, actually," Ignis confessed. "I wasn't actually transferred to Insomnia from Tenebrae; I was promoted."

Noct didn't like where this was going. "So," he guessed, " _that's_ why Cor said you were sent to check up on me!"

"He told you that?" Ignis sighed. "I was 'checking up' on _everyone_ , Noct. I needed to see what I was getting myself into. Then, when I reviewed all the personnel files, I found _you_ were the one I was most worried about."

Realization dawned on Noctis. "You mean…you _chose_ to be my partner?"

"I did," Ignis admitted. "I had to see if you were going to be as much trouble as anticipated while out in the field." Suddenly Ignis laughed. "I didn't realize things would go so well! I guess I won't suspend you, after all."

" _Suspend_ me?" Noct repeated anxiously. "So what you're saying is…"

Ignis gave a short nod. "Noct, Cor Leonis is retiring, and starting at the beginning of the new year, I am to be his replacement."

"Are you kidding me?!" Noctis moaned. "So you're telling me we can't date because you're the new chief?!"

"Well, that's not entirely accurate," came a voice from the doorway.

Noct turned and saw Chief Leonis walking into the room. Assistant Director Shiva was with him.

"…Sir, Ma'am…" Ignis was just startled to see them, and struggled to sit up while grasping at the bedside table for his glasses. Noctis lent him a hand to keep him from reinjuring his wounded shoulder. "You didn't have to come all the way here just to check up on me. I assure you, I'm quite well and will return to duty as soon as possible."

"Relax, Detective," Cor said, brushing aside the injured man's declaration. "You just focus on getting well; I've already postponed my retirement."

Ignis adjusted his glasses on his nose and gave the older man an apologetic look. "Sir, I'm deeply sorry for the trouble I've caused."

"On the contrary," Gentiana cut in, smiling. This time her lips weren't hiding a venomous tongue. "You two saved the Secret Santa Charity Foundation from complete ruin. The thieves had a warehouse where they were storing all the toys, so everything was able to be recovered, and come Christmas, the gifts will be distributed to the children as planned—under the authority of the foundation's new CEO. The organization's secretary, Camelia Claustra, apparently had no knowledge of the scam and is putting it all to right as we speak."

Noct grinned at Ignis. "Did you hear that, Specs? I think we just saved Christmas."

"Well, you didn't do it alone," someone pointed out.

"Gladio!" Noct turned as two others joined them in the hospital room. "And Prompto! Man, if you guys hadn't shown up, things could have gotten really ugly."

"Yeah," Gladio chuckled. "Lucky you."

"And how 'bout this guy?" Prompto asked, peeking through the crowd to get a look at Ignis. "Are you still alive?"

"Just barely," Ignis complained. "Have you seen the fare they're serving patients? Disgraceful."

The group followed Ignis's gaze to an untouched tray of hospital food and laughed.

"Hey, Ignis," Gladio wanted to know, "how does it feel to be the first man injured on Noct's watch?" He gave the dark-haired detective a condescending smirk, folding his arms across his massive chest. "No offense, cause I'm sure that hurt like hell, but the rest of us are glad to see someone knocked him down a peg."

"Not at all," Ignis corrected. "It was an honor and a privilege to save the life of such a brilliant detective."

Noct scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "That's the morphine talking," he explained.

* * *

Later, when they were alone again, Noct sat at Ignis's side, just stroking his hand and watching him rest. Ignis really had thrown caution to the wind and acted on instinct, just like Noct had suggested. And they were both here now because of that. He did feel remorse that his partner had been shot, but more than anything, he was glad to be alive and know that Ignis would recover. And, thanks to Cor postponing his retirement plans, they could get to know each other better, and try kissing again _without_ gunshot interruptions.

"Noctis," Ignis said, startling Noct. He'd thought his partner was asleep.

"Yeah?" Noct asked immediately. "What is it, Ignis? Can I get you anything?"

"I was just going to say, it's getting rather late. The sun's gone down. Why don't you head home for the evening?"

"You're probably right," Noct said, giving Ignis's hand a squeeze. "I just didn't want to leave without kissing you goodnight.

Ignis slowly smiled. "What are you waiting for?"

"For you to sober up," Noct cracked.

Ignis laughed. The sound was musical.

Noctis stood up, stroking Ignis's soft blond hair as he leaned over him. "I'll be back tomorrow," he promised. "And the next day. And every day until you're out of here."

"I'd like that," Ignis said softly. Then his breath evened and he fell silent.

Noctis lowered his head and placed a soft kiss to Ignis's forehead. "Merry Christmas, Specs."


End file.
